Heat consumption meter



Feb. 2, 1954 Filed April 25, 1951 A. J. MIJNLIEFF E1' AL 2,667,783

HEAT CONSUMPTION METER l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIC-1.2

Feb. 2, 1954 A. J. MIJNLIEFF ETAL HEAT CONSUMPTION METER Filed April 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGA Patented Feb. 2, 1954 25667583 HEAT-1CONSUMPTION ME'IJERfA Ary J.. Mijnliezeist, and Barend. A. van Riet.. schoten and AIieter Loos, Utrecht, Netherlands, assignors to N. V. Brovinciaalen Gemeentelijk Utrechts Stroom-leveringsbedi-ijf,

Utrecht,`

Netherlands, a company of the Netherlands Application April25, 1951, Serial No. 222,788.1.

Claims priority, application.- :1\T eth crlands.l

April 28, 1,125.0

1 claim.v (ci. 1s-.193

This-invention -relates to `a -heat consumption meter vrfor measuring the quantity -of heat given up'bya flowing `heating fluid and provided with a-flow-meter and with two- Bourdon tube-thermometers, the defiecton of which is transmitted toacounting mechanism. Such a meter may e. g. be used for measuring the heat consumption of a heating plant.

The-hitherto `known heat meters of thiskind have the drawback Y that they do not -accurately operate and the present invention has for its .object -to obtain af meter which accurately operates for a-large temperature range and is still of simple construction.'4

According to theinvention the now measuring meter drives a toothedncylinderfthe number of teeth of which varies in axial direction and said cylindencooperates with-,a toothed Wheel, which is axially slidable on ahshaftdrivingthe counting mechanism and said toothed wheel is shifted by a -pivotal lever having a .xed fulcrum and loosely r engaging` theslidable. toothed wheel,y a floating =lever being .pivoted -to said pivotal lever and .eaclrendof said. floating lever being. coupled to one ofthefBourdon tubes -of the thermometers, In order to prevent the slidable toothedwheel from jammingon vits shaftand yet vto obtain, a correct guide of the v toothedwheel saidjshaft preferably has anangular, e.- goa square cross section. As the pivotal leverfhas :'f.

a fixed fulcrum its position relative to the slidable toothed wheel is varied and in order to now obtain a displacement of the toothed wheel linearly proportional to the temperature differential to which the Bourdon tube-thermometers :i

are subjected at least one of the cooperating surfaces of the hub of the toothed wheel and of the pivotal lever is chamfered.

In the accompanying drawing which shows an embodiment of the heat consumption meter according to the invention, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the driving mechanism of the meter.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the meter and partly a horizontal sectional view on the line lI-II of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a side view and a plan view respectively of the pivotal lever according to a somewhat modified construction.

The water meter l of the continuous now type and of which only the upper part of the casing is shown is provided with e. g. a blade wheel not illustrated in the drawing and the shaft 2 of which drives a toothed cylinder f2 through the intermediary of a tooth gear 3. The shaft of the cylinder 4 carries at its upper end a toothed 21, wheel v5 ywhich actuatesa. counting mechanism 6,j which thus` indicates the quantity `offvwater flowing throushthe motor.

Each .of .the .Bourdon .tubos 1 and 8 formsv Per?.

' cfa thermometer the temperature feelersof which are placed in the forward fiow of the hot. waternandgthereturn flow ofthe cooled waterrespectively of the heatingplant.V P ivotally .connected'to thefree end. ofreach Bourdon tube is ag link` 9 -and I (1 respectively and eachY of. said linksA is pivotally connectedgtoanwarm of a leverI Il.

whichy is pivotally mounted on a pin I2 secured to..

a, lever. arm I4jrigidlysecured,onma shaftl3'. Said shaft Acarries ra leverV arm ljengagingr` a toothed Wheel l 5 ilidobly, mounted. on a .square shaft I1 Y'and adapted .to mesh with vthe .teeth oi'd4 cylinder 4. The hub lIlljof. the toothedgwheel I6., iS ohamforod andthe .fork shapedend. I9 ot lever. arm. .l loosely-oneaeessad chamfored hub. The.. shaft I1 at .its uppolendoarres a .toothedwheoL 2tldrivinga counting 4mechanis,in 2 I.

The thermometers andfalsothe Bourdontubos. 1 and 8-connected thereto are lledwith mercury having a very high pressure ofc. g.. 150 atmospheres.. Y The Bourdon` tubes 1, fwhich prefer-V ably have 'an equal shapegare mounted .in such a-mannerlthat Aupon expansion :of tlf1e, .mer nv1ryY the-free ends ofthe tubes are displaced along.. parallel lines o and-.b.rospootiyo1r.. Whenthe forward flow has Ythe same temperature as the return now of the heating fluid the pivot I2 of oating lever II remains stationary. If, however, the thermometers are subjected to a temperature difference the pivot I2 of the floating lever II will be displaced so that the axis I3 which is supported in fixed bearings is rotated and the lever arm I5 shifts the toothed wheel I6 along the shaft I l. Said toothed wheel therefore meshes with the teeth of cylinder 4 so that said latter rotates the toothed wheel I6 with its shaft Il driving the counting mechanism 2|. Since the number of teeth on the cylinder 4 increases in upward direction the toothed wheel I 6 will be rotated through an angle in conformityu with the displacement which the wheel performs under the action of the lever arm I5 so that the indication of the counting mechanism ZI will be dependent both on the rotation of the blade wheel of the .water meter I and on the deection of the Bourdon tubes l and 8. The driving mechanism for shifting the toothed wheel I6 and the variation of the number of teeth on the cylinder 4 `are so chosen that the counting mechanism 2| indicates the product of the quantity of water owing through the water meter I and the temperature diierential, thus the quantity of heat consumed in the plant. Owing to the particular construction of the coupling mechanism between the Bourdon tubes 1, 8 and the slidable toothed wheel I6 the displacement of said wheel is linearly proportional to the temperature difference to which the Bourdon tube-thermometers are subjected.

The extent of the displacement of the wheel I6 may be varied by adjusting the pivot I2 of the oating lever II in a slot of arm I4 whereby the active length of said arm is varied.

It is to be noted that in the illustrated embodiment the number of teeth on the lower part of cylinder 4 remains constant so that for the lower portion of the stroke of the toothed wheel I6 a constant minimum quantity of heat independent of the temperature diierential is recorded on the counting mechanism 2l. Said minimum quantity of heat may e. g. be applied for temperature differentials lower than 20 C.

The part of the cylinder 4 not provided with teeth should have a somewhat smaller radius than the bottom of the holes between the teeth, in order to prevent rotation of the slidable wheel I6 by friction when contacting with the smooth part of the cylinder. It should also be taken account of the fact that with an interrupted toothing the driven wheel is already rotated before the teeth are completely in mesh so that the angle of rotation of the driven wheel is larger than the angle corresponding to the length of the toothed are of the driving cylinder.

With the modified construction of the pivotal lever I shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the forked end I9 is formed as a separate part which by means of a journal 24 is rotatably supported in a block 22. Said block in turn is pivoted on a stud 23 rigidly secured to lever I5, so that fork I9 may rotate about two axes which are perpendicular to each other, whereby an exactly vertical displacement of the fork I9 and an excellent engagement of same with the curved surface of the hub I8 of wheel I6 is secured.

The described and illustrated heat meter may be mounted on a water meter of every kind provided with a dry running counting mechanism which is then removed and replaced by the heat meter.

The accuracy and the starting resistance of the water meter are then favourably influence by the provision of the heat meter as for the dry running counting mechanism of the flow meter only the cylinder 4 and two simple counting mechanisms are substituted. Y l

The invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiment as various modications are possible within the scope of the invention. Thus instead of the inner ends of the Bourdon tubes 'l and 8 also their outer ends may be stationary so that in said instance the links 9 and l0 are connected to the inner ends of the Bourdon tubes. The number of teeth on the cylinder :l instead of in upward direction may also increase in downward direction.

What we claim is:

A; heat consumptionV meter for measuring the quantity of heat given up by a owing heating iiuid comprising in combination a iiow meter, a toothed cylinder driven by said flow meter and the number of teeth of which varies in axial direction, a toothed wheel cooperating with said toothed cylinder and having a hub. a shaft on which said toothed wheel is slidably mounted, a counting mechanism driven by said shaft, a pivotal lever having a xed iulcrurn, a stud carried by said pivotai lever, a bearing bieck pivotally mounted on said stud, a forked part journalled in said bearing block perpendicularly to said stud and engaging the hub of said toothed wheel, a fioating lever` pivoted to said pivotal lever and two Bourdon tube-thermometers coupled to opposite ends of said floating lever.

ARY J. MJNLIEFF. BAREND A; VAN RIETSCHOTEN. PIETER LOOS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date 1,894,449 Sandvoss Jan. 17, 1933 2,123,725 Handwerk July 12, 1938 2,230,544 Noble Feb. 4, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 561,225 Germany Oct. 12, 1932 913,699 France June 3, 1946 596,054 Great Britain Dec. 24, 1947 

